Snowcones
by Jan-Ken-Pon
Summary: [Written by Sosiqui] It's a hot day at the beach, but Ban is too stingy to buy snowcones. What's a Ginji to do? BanGinji, fluffy-cute shounen-ai warning.


A/N: Already on my second fic? Sheesh, Get Backers plotweasels are a rabid lot.   
  
This fic is pointless, cute Ban/Ginji fuwafuwa. But hey, one can never get enough of the warm fuzzies, can they? :3 Special thanks on this one goes to Imbrium, my faithful beta-reader (and the other half of Jan-Ken-Pon).   
  
And, of course, Get Backers = not mine. But they sure are fun to write about. :3  
  
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"Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
Ginji stared longingly at the colorful bottles, at the stacked paper cones, at the vendor who watched them quizzically. "Aw, come on. It's so hot, it'd taste soooo good. Don't you want one too?"  
  
"I said no," Ban repeated, pushing his glasses up and shifting the wad of towels he was carrying. "I'm not spending our hard-earned money on ice and food coloring."  
  
Ginji sighed as a child pushed past them and handed over her money. He watched the vendor feed the crushed ice into the cone, shaping it into a neat dome-shape, then sloshing brightly-colored syrup over it. The child took the finished product eagerly and pelted back through the sand, dribbling bits of ice.   
  
"Come on, Ginji, let's go already," Ban muttered. "The ocean will get you just as cool, and it's free."  
  
"Yeah, but it doesn't taste half as good as a snowcone." Still, Ginji let Ban drag him across the beach, although he did give the apathetic snowcone vendor a few despairing glances.   
  
Ban let him go when they'd almost reached the water. "Ah, this is the perfect place to meet a client, on a hot day like this." He grinned as he surveyed the scenery, landscape and bikini-clad sunbathers alike. "I wonder what Hevn looks like in a bikini?"  
  
Ginji thought about this. "Not much different than in her normal clothes, I bet."  
  
"Well, tell me if you see her." Ban dropped the towels on the sand and prodded one with his foot until it unfolded. He sat down on the towel, stretched out in a way that reminded Ginji of a cat, and closed his eyes.   
  
Ginji watched for Hevn. He watched the sun on the waves. He watched sand castles go up. And he watched many people approach the snowcone vendor and come away with icy rainbows. Finally, when he could stand it no longer, he got up and walked a few steps into the ocean. Cupping his hands, he scooped up seawater, then returned to the towels and dribbled the water on Ban's stomach.  
  
"Kya! What the hell?!" Ban sat up in a rush, tangling the towel and spraying sand everywhere. He glared at Ginji. "The hell was that for? Is Hevn here?"  
  
"Um." Ginji quickly surveyed the beach. "No?"  
  
"Real funny, Ginji," Ban muttered. He grabbed the damp towel and tried to snap Ginji with it. "Well, if Hevn's not here and I'm already wet…"   
  
Ban lunged.  
  
"Ban-chan!" Ginji tried to dodge, but Ban's fingers clamped around his wrist. He struggled and squirmed, but Ban's grip was much too strong to break. "Ow!"   
  
"You get ME wet," Ban said with predatory glee, "then YOU get wet." The sand under Ginji's feet turned damp, and suddenly he was being dragged helplessly toward the waves.  
  
Splash.  
  
Ginji spat seawater out of his mouth, then moved to retaliate. He fumbled under the water for Ban's ankle, found it, and jerked.   
  
Splash.   
  
Within a few moments, the ocean around the Get Backers was a flurry of flying water. When the storm finally cleared, both of them were dripping wet, and Ban had a curl of seaweed on his ear. Ginji grinned happily and dog-paddled towards Ban, meaning to splash him again on the pretense of removing the seaweed, but he paused halfway there, looking at something on the beach.  
  
Ban took advantage of this, and Ginji emerged spluttering from the dunk attack. "That wasn't fair, Ban-chan! Bleh, it's up my nose."  
  
"Expect damage if you zone out, Ginji," Ban smirked. "What's so distracting, anyway?"  
  
"Thought I saw Hevn, but I didn't, and now there's sand in my nose," Ginji muttered. "It's still hot, Ban-chan, see?" He pointed towards the beach, at a teenage girl lounging on a towel.  
  
Ban squinted as if appraising her. "Not bad, but the girls playing volleyball are much better."  
  
Ginji flushed. "Not THAT, Ban-chan. She's got a…"  
  
"… a rainbow snowcone," Ban finished, rolling his eyes and splashing Ginji again. "What's wrong with you?"   
  
"I want one," Ginji said helplessly, dodging another splash.  
  
"Oh, stop it," Ban grumbled, then gestured at the beach. "Look, there's the beach. People drop all kinds of crap in the sand. You want a snowcone that much, you go scrounge the cash for it."  
  
Ginji blinked at the beach. "Fine." He stood up and started wading towards the shore.   
  
"You're actually going to try?" Ban snorted. "You're crazy."  
  
"I want it and I'm going to get it," Ginji said stubbornly.  
  
"Fine!" Ban pushed up his dripping glasses. "I'll just have a great time out here!"   
  
"Okay," Ginji agreed amiably. "And Ban-chan?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"There's seaweed on your ear."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The beach seemed to go on forever. Still, Ginji sifted methodically through the sand, feeling for anything that could be exchanged for a snowcone. Sadly, he didn't think the vendor would take paper wads and old drink cans. At least he'd found a nice shell or two. He made sure to glance up every now and then to look for Hevn, but she was nowhere to be found either.  
  
He'd felt Ban's gaze on him several times, too. Ban probably hadn't thought that he'd work so hard, but despite this he'd made no move to help him or hinder. So it'd been a while, so the sun was beginning to vanish. So what? Ginji wanted a snowcone, and he was going to get one. He dug into the next stretch of sand with renewed determination.   
  
Can. Old wrapper. Rock. Broken shell. Rubber band. Ginji moved the trash aside, pushing it into a small pile to throw away later. More cans. Plastic bits. Paper…  
  
The paper didn't feel right, Ginji realized. He tugged it out of the damp sand and brushed it off. It was about the right size to be…  
  
Ginji's eyes widened as he saw the numbers on the piece of paper. He leapt to his feet and ran down the beach until he found Ban, who was standing in the water talking to a girl in a bikini. Ginji waded in a few feet and waved at Ban, grinning broadly. "Ban-chaaan!"  
  
Ban looked up. "Eh?"  
  
Ginji waved the bill triumphantly. "Look what I found!"  
  
Ban blinked, then began splashing towards Ginji. "Don't tell me you… what IS that?"  
  
"Money! It's a 5,000 yen bill!" Ginji beamed.   
  
Ban's splashing approach accelerated. "Give it here!"  
  
Ginji tightened his grip on the bill. "No! It's mine, and I'm going to buy a snowcone."  
  
"You can't… oh, come on, just give it," Ban ordered, getting closer.  
  
"No!" Ginji stared stubbornly at Ban, and small crackles of electricity began to flash across his skin.   
  
Ban backed off immediately. "Don't, Ginji, you'll electrocute the damn beach!"  
  
"Fine, I'll just get my snowcone then." Ginji turned around and ran as fast as he could. He heard Ban shouting from behind, but no pursuit came as he left the water and pelted up the beach towards the snowcone vendor. The vendor was beginning to put away the colorful flavor bottles. "Wait!" Ginji yelled, stumbling to a halt in front of the stand.  
  
The vendor looked startled, then smiled as Ginji pushed the bill at him. "All right, sir. What kind would you like?"  
  
Ginji scanned the row of bottles with glee. "Watermelon, please," he said finally, and the vendor poured thick red syrup over the icy cone.   
  
"Here's your change, and here's your cone."   
  
Ginji took both, happily, and nodded his thanks. Then he dug in.  
  
The snowcone was sweet and cold and absolutely wonderful. After a few minutes enjoying the treat, Ginji looked around for Ban. He spotted his partner near their towels, apparently staring at the ground. As he got closer, he could hear Ban muttering.  
  
"Find 5,000 yen, huh? I'll show 'em… must be millions around here, millions!" Ban drew back one arm and aimed at the sand. "Snake BITE!"  
  
Sand flew.  
  
Ginji sat down on the towels, watched Ban dig with 200 kilograms of force, and slowly slurped on the snowcone. Finally, after ten minutes of tearing up the beach, Ban stomped back to the towels and collapsed on them, scowling. Ginji said nothing, but placed the change from the snowcone on Ban's damp chest.   
  
Ban grumbled, but his face relaxed as he reached up and counted the money. "Thanks."  
  
"Welcome." Ginji tilted the now-soggy paper cone to get at the slush inside. They were quiet for a moment, looking out over the ocean in the fading light, the only sounds the waves and Ginji's slurping.  
  
"Hevn ever show up?" Ban asked, finally.   
  
"Nope," Ginji replied with another slurp.  
  
"Dammit." Ban sat up. "And I'm thirsty."  
  
Ginji grinned. "Hard work digging, huh?" Ban scowled. Ginji thought for a moment, then held the paper cone out. "Here."  
  
Ban blinked at it, then drained the cold slush in a few gulps. "Ahh. Not bad."  
  
"Tasty, huh?" Ginji beamed. "I like snowcones."  
  
"I guess I do too. Been a while." Ban turned to look at the snowcone stand, but it had closed. In fact, the beach was all but deserted. "Figures," he snorted.   
  
Ginji laughed. "It's your fault, Ban-chan."  
  
Ban leaned back, tucking his arms behind his head. "At least the day wasn't a loss. We DID make money, thanks to you," he admitted, grudgingly.  
  
Ginji laughed, digging his toes into the sand and wiggling them a bit. "And we had a good snowcone."  
  
"I guess. What flavor was that, anyway?"   
  
"Watermelon. Sooo good!" Ginji licked his lips.   
  
.Ban snickered. "Ginji, your tongue is all red."   
  
"It is?" Ginji stuck out his tongue and tried, unsuccessfully, to look at it. "What about yours, Ban-chan?"  
  
"Dunno, but yours looks like you've been drinking paint."  
  
"Show me," Ginji begged, curious. "Stick out your tongue or something."  
  
"No way." Ban smirked. "Just look in the rearview mirror when we get back to the car."  
  
"Oh well. It was delicious anyway." Ginji took a deep breath. "I can still taste it."  
  
"I didn't get enough for that," Ban said, slightly disgruntled. "It's almost dark, Ginji, let's go."  
  
"A little longer?" Ginji pointed up with the soggy remains of the paper cone. "The stars are coming out." He waved the cone, and a few drops of bright red splashed down onto his shoulder. "Oops."   
  
Ban rolled his eyes. "Idiot. C'mere." Propping himself up on one elbow, Ban reached out, wiped the drops off of Ginji's shoulder, and then licked the remains off his fingers.   
  
Ginji flushed a little bit. "You liked it that much, Ban-chan?"   
  
"Maybe." Ban grinned, and pushed his glasses back. "That snowcone was pretty tasty, just like you said…"   
  
Ginji thought about that for a moment.   
  
"Y'know, Ban-chan," he said, finally, "I bet I know how you can get more."  
  
"Hm?"   
  
Before Ban could move, Ginji leaned over and deposited a very sticky watermelon kiss on Ban's lips. Ban blinked, then licked his lips. Ginji drew back a little, suddenly afraid that he'd gone too far. "Ban-chan?"  
  
"Still can't quite taste it," Ban said suddenly, moving so quickly that Ginji fell over backwards onto the towel. He blinked, looking up at Ban's blue eyes, not quite sure if he was going to get snake-bit or…  
  
"Ban-chan, I…" he managed, before it got rather difficult to talk.   
  
Ban raised his head and licked his lips again. "Yeah, that's better."   
  
"Want some more?" Ginji said timidly.   
  
Ban snickered, and leaned down.  
  
  
  
  
  
The red color had left Ginji's tongue by the time they made it back to the 360. But he didn't mind, since Ban seemed to have developed quite a taste for snowcones. 


End file.
